The invention relates to a belt skiver apparatus for separating surface layers or strips from the ends of a conveyor belt, and in particular to a belt skiver mechanism that moves relative to the conveyor belt and contemporaneously separates both the upper and lower surface layers of the belt ends using blades.
Belt skivers particularly serve the purpose of reducing the thickness of a conveyor belt at the area of the two ends, so that within the reduced thickness areas or recesses, metallic belt connectors can be positioned and attached. Belt skivers advantageously remove strips from the ends of the conveyor belt, which have a thickness smaller than the thickness of the conveyor belt before separating the surface layers. The belt connectors are positioned in the recesses formed thereby at the opposing ends of the conveyor belt. Some types of belt connectors have plates that span between the opposite ends of the belt, while other types of belt connectors have loops or eyelets that are arranged in an overlapping or intermeshing arrangement, and are interconnected by a rod or pin inserted through the eyelets of the belt connectors to permit the belt to travel in a circular or arcuate pattern at the ends of the conveyor.
Within the spirit of the present invention, the term “surface layer” is to be understood on a broad basis. The surface layers of the conveyor belt typically reference the upper and lower surfaces of the conveyor belt. The thickness of the particular surface layers to be separated is determined by the size and geometry of the metallic belt connectors to be attached to the belt ends.
A mechanism of the type discussed above, which is identified herein as a belt skiver or plane, is disclosed in DE 40 02 116 A1. The mechanical belt skiver described in this prior patent document serves the purpose of separating a surface layer from an end of a conveyor belt clamped on a support mechanism. The belt skiver has a slide movable along the support mechanism, in which a blade and leading pressure shoe are mounted in a vertically adjustable manner that corresponds to the thickness of the surface layer to be cut and/or the thickness of the conveyor belt. The blade is formed as a knife, the free end of which is disposed away from the slide, and is high curved, in order to cut the surface layer both vertically and horizontally. The slide is moved by means of a gear that is able to be operated by a crank handle. Due to the gear reduction ratio of the gearbox, the blade can be moved over the belt with great force or strength. The blade is relatively thick and therefore bend resistant to ensure that a continuous surface layer size is removed over the entire width of the belt.
However, this type of mechanical belt skiver has certain disadvantageous such as, upon the operation of the belt skiver relative to the clamped conveyor belt, the surface layer can be removed only on one side or face of the conveyor belt end. When the surface layer is to be removed on the other side or face of the conveyor belt end, it is necessary to disconnect and remove the clamp holding the conveyor belt, subsequently putting back the belt skiver into the starting position, once again aligning and clamping the turned over conveyor belt on the support mechanism, and subsequently performing the additional separation process. Apart from the additional handling being quite labor-consuming and time-consuming, it also results in the risk that the turned over conveyor belt changes position or is misaligned in the support mechanism relative to the first side, with the consequence being that, upon separating the two surface layers or strips, deviations are experienced. Apart from this, due to the use of only one blade with the belt skiver, this does not facilitate the separating of different geometrical surface layers from the end of a conveyor belt.
Furthermore, another mechanism of the type discussed above is disclosed in WO 96/07517. This mechanism also has a blade for separating the surface layers of the conveyor belt. This mechanism is provided with two mounted rollers pivoting on parallel axles with the full thickness conveyor belt clamped therebetween. One roller is actuated, so that the conveyor belt is conveyed by the rollers. The blade is housed behind the rollers in the direction of the conveyance of the conveyor belt, which thus separates the surface layer from the conveyor belt. The mechanism is free standing, so that it is not necessary to position the conveyor belt in a stationary manner. Rather, the conveyor belt is introduced in the mechanism and transported by means of the rollers through the mechanism and the surface layer is thereby separated.
Also for this mechanism, there is a particular disadvantage insofar as the relative shifting of the mechanism and the conveyor belt results in only one surface layer being separated from the relevant end of the conveyor belt. If two surface layers are to be separated from the conveyor belt end, the procedure must be repeated, with the above-described problems concerning the accuracy of the separated surface layers. This is a prerequisite for the exact positioning of the belt connectors.